Enhancing gender equality discussed in Moscow by OSCE senior official

The Senior Adviser on Gender Issues, Ambassador Miroslava Beham, is the first senior OSCE official to visit the Russian Federation to specifically discuss gender equality issues. She is paying an official visit to Moscow from 5 to 8 November 2013.

The programme of her four-day visit includes meetings with representatives of state institutions and her non-governmental counterparts, including officials from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Education. She is also meeting with the  Chairperson of the Presidential Council for Civil Society Development and Human Rights, as well as the leaders of the Women’s Union of Russia.

Gender equality initiatives in the Russian Federation and their correlation with OSCE commitments were discussed, as well as possible future co-operation in the areas of combating violence against women, political and economic empowerment of women, and involving women in counter-terrorism activities.

“The OSCE recognizes the crucial impact that gender equality has on creating peaceful and secure societies. Exchanging experiences and information on these matters is important, and in my meetings with Russian counterparts I want to learn more about the efforts being made to enhance gender equality in the country,” Beham said. “There are challenges in all OSCE participating States to implement the international gender equality commitments we all have signed up to, and it has been encouraging to see the active and successful steps that Russian government structures and civil society  are taking to promote women’s and men’s rights.”

The visit will conclude with a meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry on 8 November.